BackgroundEnvironmental pollutant exposure may play certain roles in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes mellitus including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We hypothesize that heavy metal exposure may trigger GDM during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible associations between selected heavy metal exposure and GDM risk.MethodsThis investigation is a retrospective case–control study nested within a cohort of 1359 pregnant women. These participants were recruited in Xiamen Maternity and Child Care Hospital, China, during June to July, 2012. All their newborns’ meconium samples were collected. By reviewing the antenatal care records, 166 GDM mothers were screened out from the 1359 participants; 137 of 166 GDM mothers offered their newborns’ meconium samples for the metal analysis. Those 137 mothers were set as the case group. Similarly, 294 healthy mothers without any gestational complication were initially screened out from the rest 1193 non-GDM mothers. 190 of the 294 healthy mothers offered their newborns’ meconium samples for the metal analysis. Those 190 mothers were set as the control group. Arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) levels in these case–control meconium samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The possible association between the metal levels and maternal GDM risk of studied subjects was assessed by binary logistic regression.ResultsGDM prevalence of 12.21% was observed in the investigated 1359 participants. The concentrations of As, Hg, Cr and Cd in studied cases were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of controls. After adjustments for maternal age, pre-pregnant body mass index, gravidity, parity, hepatitis B virus infection, and newborn sex, As, Cd and Cr were found to be positively associated with GDM prevalence in dose-dependent manners. Among them, As was detected in all samples and its levels associated the maternal GDM with the adjusted odds ratios of 3.28 [95% CI 1.24, 8.71], 3.35 [95% CI 1.28, 8.75] and 5.25 [95% CI 1.99, 13.86] for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles, respectively.ConclusionsThe present work implies that exposure to some of the selected metals (noticeably As) may contribute to maternal GDM risk during pregnancy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0004-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Zhang J., Madsen B. and Jensen-Butler C. (2007) Regional economic impacts of tourism: the case of Denmark, Regional Studies 41, 839-853. The Danish interregional general equilibrium model LINE is presented together with its tourism submodel. The model is used to analyse the importance of tourism in regional economies and to decompose regional tourism multipliers. The difference between direct and derived effects is examined; and by using the model, the factors that determine the size of the direct effects and derived effects are identified. The analysis is applied to Danish regions which are divided into urban and rural regions. In general, the results show that tourism multipliers are larger in urban than in rural areas. Factors such as interregional trade, commuting and shopping leakage have to be taken into consideration when evaluating the derived effects. When the leakage is large, the tourism multiplier tends to be small. The paper also draws attention to the difference between absolute and relative impacts of tourism on the regional economy. Zhang J., Madsen B. et Jensen-Butler C. (2007) Les retombees regionales du tourisme: etude de cas du Danemark, Regional Studies 41, 839-853. On presente le modele interregional danois d'equilibre general appele LINE conjointement avec le modele secondaire sur le tourisme. On se sert du modele afin d'analyser l'importance du tourisme dans les economies regionales et pour decomposer les multiplicateurs regionaux du tourisme. On examine la difference entre les retombees directes et indirectes et, a partir du modele, on identifie les facteurs qui determinent l'importance des retombees directes et indirectes. On applique l'analyse aux regions danoises, divisees en zones urbaines et rurales. En regle generale, les resultats laissent voir que les multiplicateurs du tourisme s'averent plus importants dans les zones urbaines qu'ils ne le sont dans les zones rurales. Pour evaluer les retombees indirectes, il faut tenir compte d'autres facteurs, tels les echanges interregionaux, les migrations quotidiennes et la fuite des depenses des menages. Quand la fuite s'avere importante, le multiplicateur du tourisme a tendance a etre negligeable. L'article cherche aussi a attirer l'attention sur la difference entre les retombees absolues et relatives du tourisme sur l'economie regionale. Retombees economiques du tourisme Multiplicateurs du tourisme Modelisation macroeconomique interregionale Regions danoises Zhang J., Madsen B. und Jensen-Butler C. (2007) Die regionalen wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Fremdenverkehrs: der Fall Danemark, Regional Studies 41, 839-853. Vorgestellt wird das danische interregionale allgemeine Gleichgewichtsmodell LINE sowie dessen Fremdenverkehrs-Untermodell. Anhand dieses Modells wird die Bedeutung des Fremdenverkehrs fur regionale Wirtschaften analysiert, und es werden die Multiplikatoren fur den regionalen Fremdenverkehr aufgeschlusselt. Der Unterschied zwischen direkten und abgeleiteten Auswirkungen wird untersucht, und es werden mit Hilfe des Modells di...

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that abortion may cause long term health consequences such as cardiovascular disease. Until recently, studies focusing on the association between history of abortion and metabolic diseases were limited. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between history of abortion and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese women. A cross-sectional survey was performed in 6302 women (age ≥ 40 years) in Shanghai. Standardized questionnaire was used to obtain the information about reproductive histories. Overall, we observed a positive association between history of induced abortion and the prevalence of MetS, independent of potential confounding factors. A multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that compared to those without a history of induced abortion, women with a history of induced abortion remained at 1.25 times more likely to have MetS (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06-1.47, P < 0.05), and the association was number-dependent. However, no significant association between history of spontaneous abortion and the prevalence of MetS was observed. Compared to those without a history of spontaneous abortion, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio associated with a history of spontaneous abortion for MetS was 0.88 (95% CI = 0.65-1.19, P > 0.05).